Jerry, Pendukeni fired for being unrepentant – Hengari

Former ministers Jerry Ekandjo and Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana were fired from Cabinet in 2018 for daring President Hage Geingob to get rid of them.This instead of showing, in a “conciliatory manner”, that they would work under the president after challenging him at the Swapo congress, Geingob’s spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said in a statement yesterday.“President Geingob had hoped they would be forthcoming in a conciliatory manner and indicate their willingness to work with him under his leadership. However, in a response which came short of such a rapprochement, both Comrades Jerry Ekandjo and Pendukeni Ithana-Iivula penned a legal response stating that he was free to exercise his democratic right to contest elections,” it read.“Nowhere did the comrades indicate how they could all work together as leaders in government. Following their responses, Comrade Geingob exercised his presidential discretion and released them from the Cabinet,” Hengari reasoned.“When you are no longer willing to serve the party and government under the president whose leadership you do not hold in high regard, the best and most honourable course of action would be for you as a minister to resign voluntarily and not wait to be pushed out. How can ministers work under the president they don’t respect or hold in high esteem?”Meeting scheduledHengari brought up the issue while responding to former prime minister Nahas Angula’s call last week for Geingob, as head of Swapo and its central committee, to listen to Ekandjo’s demands to be included in the race for party vice-president.Geingob, whether heeding Angula’s advice or out of his own volition, last week ordered party secretary-general Sophia Shaningwa to convene a central committee meeting to discuss Ekandjo’s fate. The meeting is scheduled for 09:00 this morning.Despite being duly nominated and meeting requirements for the position, Ekandjo has been completely kept out of the race so far.Not even the withdrawal of defence minister Frans Kapofi has eased his passage into the contest, which will determine Swapo’s presidential candidate for 2024, and possibly the country’s next head of state.‘Clearly misplaced’Although his boss has called the meeting to review Ekandjo’s situation, Hengari considers Angula’s call for such consideration “misplaced”.“It is... blatantly obvious that the view of Comrade Angula - that Comrade Ekandjo is getting a raw deal from the proceedings of the Swapo Party, specifically those of the central committee which validated three candidates following the withdrawal of Comrade Frans Kapofi from the presidential race - is clearly misplaced,” he said.“Premised on verifiable facts, contrary to the wrongful blaming of President Geingob for Comrade Ekandjo’s recent political misfortunes, it is the people’s democracy within the Swapo Party which has on several occasions denied Comrade Ekandjo the opportunity to ascend to the top leadership positions.”Lawyer Richard Metcalfe, who has been at the forefront of pushing for Ekandjo’s inclusion in the race, said his client will pursue his democratic rights within the party.Iivula-Ithana did not respond to a request for comment.

Jerry, Pendukeni fired for being unrepentant – Hengari

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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Jerry, Pendukeni fired for being unrepentant – Hengari

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-18

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